Wild Weed

1949 "How Bad Can a Good Girl Get... Without Losing Her Virtue and Self-Respect?"
3.9| 1h10m| en| More Info
Released: 20 July 1949
Producted By: Roadshow Attractions
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A chorus girl's career is ruined and her brother is driven to suicide when she starts smoking marijuana.

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Reviews

Noutions Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .
Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated
Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.
Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic
Leofwine_draca The IMDb ratings for WILD WEED (which I saw in a version entitled SHE SHOULDA SAID 'NO!') might be low, but this is actually a pretty fun movie that's a lot better than the other sensationalist dramas I've been watching recently (like GAMBLING WITH SOULS and THE WILD AND WICKED for example). The handling of the material is just so over the top that it makes for a highly entertaining viewing experience.The central character (played with relish by Lila Leeds, who in real life was busted for possession of marijuana alongside Robert Mitchum) is the usual innocent type who falls in with the wrong crowd and ends up finding herself in prison as a result. However, there's a twist, and in the second half of the production things really pick up as this turns into a low budget crime thriller with police, bad guys, and the like.Compared to leading Hollywood productions of the era, like the ever-popular film noir genre, SHE SHOULDA SAID 'NO!' is pretty tame and silly, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The heavy-handed preachiness of the anti-drug message is always fun to watch, and the cast are certainly game; we get the ever-dependable Lyle Talbot in support, alongside Jack Elam in his film debut.
zardoz-13 "Wild Weed" is a polished but predictable potboiler about the consequences of marihuana abuse in America during the late 1940s. Prolific director Sam Newfield does a good job of making this pedestrian crime thriller palatable. The action concern a chorus girl who is putting her younger brother through college by working as a dancer. Actually, Richard H. Landau is based in part on the sensational event that occurred when actor Robert Mitchum was busted with starlet Lila Leeds in her apartment. Mitchum is neither shown nor depicted. This movie shows how our unfortunate heroine becomes addicted to pot. The filmmakers refer to marihuana as 'tea' and the pushers hide it in tomato cans. The first half of the action concerns Anne Lester's descent into the hell of pot. A thoroughly despicable pusher, Markey (Alan Baxter), gets Anne hooked. After she loses her job as a dancer, Anne winds up fronting for Markey. Sadly, when Anne's brother, Bob (David Holt), shows up at his older sister's house, he is surprised to find the house in ruins after a party. Later, he discovers that she is helping Markey sell cannabis and he commits suicide by hanging himself in the garage. The second part follows Anne on her downward spiral until she survives jail and leads the authorities to Markey.Lila Leeds does a credible job, but her arrest doomed her career. She wasn't a bad actress. She is surrounded by a number of solid Hollywood actors. Indeed, Jack Elam made his film debut. Meantime, "Wild Weed" was her last film before she disappeared from the big-screen. Of course, the filmmakers were trading on Lila's celebrity status to give the film a modicum of credibility. The filmmakers' depiction of pot as a so-called 'gateway drug' makes this film funny. The scenes of people having a good time as they party with their pot are goofy. "Wild Weed" isn't as hilarious as "Reefer Madness" or "Marihuana." The fate of the lead actress gives "Wild Weed" a measure of poignancy. She suffered a worse fate than her screen character and the effect of the arrest on her cinematic aspirations is the flip side of what actually happened to Robert Mitchum. The marihuana arrest for Mitchum bolstered his career and he suffered no fall-out from it.
dougdoepke Naïve show girl gets involved with hard cases in a marijuana drug ring.Seeing this pot-warning epic, you might confuse the devil weed with a shot of laughing gas. That's because after taking a puff, the smokers stand around and giggle for hours on end. I kept hoping for an orgy, but no luck, just a lot of pointless laughing. Looks like the director auditioned supporting players on how long and maniacally they could giggle.Sure, the movie's a grade Z production that probably showed in a few all-night grind houses. Still, a couple less-than- terrible aspects manage to emerge. The montages are generally well done, especially the white piano dream at the Hollywood Bowl. Plus, the principal acting is not that bad. Whatever else, bad girl Leeds manages a pretty good performance, along with veteran stone face Alan Baxter. Oddly, the narrative breaks into two parts—the first is the goofy drug part, while the second amounts to standard crime drama. Add 'em up and you've got a generally bad movie that doesn't rise to campy level, but still manages a few redeeming aspects.(In passing-- The guy playing the orchestral piano is a legitimate long-hair, Rudolf Friml Jr., whose dad composed such well-known operettas as Rose-Marie and The Vagabond King. I guess this was meant to add a touch of class to an otherwise seedy production.)
dwpollar 1st watched 2/19/2007 - 2 out of 10(Dir-Sherman Scott): Over-the-top marijuana educational film goes way beyond it's earlier predecessor's with an obvious bigger budget but having the same results. Please -- get a life people!! Stop making these silly movies and bust the offenders instead!! I absolutely hate these government funded opportunities to make bad movies. In this one, a dancer is turned onto the drug at a party as she's trying to get her brother thru college. She's promised lots more money from the seller and is enticed into his world where only heartbreak occurs instead. Her brother kills himself and she blames herself, and her reason for staying in the business is now more self-induced. She is eventually picked up by the cops with the rest of her friends, spends some time in jail where she freaks out but doesn't reveal the seller and his whereabouts. The rest of the movie I won't reveal in case you want to see it. There are some special effects thrown in on this movie but otherwise it's very similar to it's earlier exploitation movies about the horrors of the drug. Too bad the money to make this movie wasn't spent on something more useful, like rehab for users etc